


Within & Without

by Zarius



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Mentioned Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey Palpatine, Rey Skywalker, Reylofest, Reyloveweek, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21861172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zarius/pseuds/Zarius
Summary: Ben restores life to his galaxy
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey
Comments: 2
Kudos: 79





	Within & Without

Ben climbed out of the pit with purpose, ready to stand, ready to fight.

He was too late.

The Emperor’s chambers were awash with the stench of death. Nothing breathed. That was the first thing to grip him with fear.

Nobody was breathing.

He noticed a stiffened shape lying on the floor before him, he wearily approached it with exhaustion his sole physical bane.

He dragged himself to the body and cradled it, struggling to find the words to speak that could awaken the beauty before him.

But Rey Palpatine was motionless, dead to the living and known world, a light within the darkness had been snuffed out.

Ben stroked her face gently, he tried to speak again, to command her to rise, but he had been trained, by light, by dark, to look into the eyes of the dead and know when not to force a beginning on them at the time of their end. 

He cursed the many years wasted on denying the living their chance, when this life had risked and sacrificed so much to do the opposite.

She deserved this chance now, to look into his eyes and see how grateful he was she had tried her best for him and for everyone in what had been his galaxy.  
She was his galaxy.

His hand rested upon the wounds on her stomach, and he willed his life-force through her, as he did so, he heard the voices of those closest to him bless him with their love and protection as the sense of oblivion began to overtake him.

His mother, his father, his uncle, his grandfather, all of them came to see, to be around him, and to welcome him back.

This would be the final gift from the force to him, the briefest of redemptions for the dark side and for the sins of Vader. To hold back death and defy life’s attempts to fully snuff out the line of Palpatine.

To give that lineage the chance it needed for true redemption.

To bring light to the galaxy.

His galaxy.

Her.

As the effort drained him, colour came back to Rey’s cheeks, her eyes blinked, she tilted her head upwards to meet his star struck eyes. Still he could not find the words.  
But she could.

“Ben” she said,

She seized the moment they shared, she desired to take more than just his hand, and she would take away his very breath away with what she did next.  
A majestic and grateful kiss, one that caused the diminishing spark within him to burn bright one final time before life was fully drained from his body and he collapsed.  
The force gathered him, it gathered his mother, and spirited them away.

They were now within the force.

And Rey was without her rightful prize.

Within the force, Ben was assured there was nothing to fear.

Rey would take more than his hand, or his breath, she would take his name.

She would not be without him

He would live on within her

And their bond would come to bind everyone within the galaxy.

Their galaxy.


End file.
